THE WORD GOD SPOKE John 1:1-18 Several years ago the actress Anne Blyth shared these

words with a group at a gathering in Hollywood, California. In the beginning was the Word ... And since then a billion, million words have been spoken. Soft Words ... Hard Words ...Cold ... Warm Words. There are words that sing and jump; Skip and dance ...Gay words... Little Girl words. Words with fun in their eyes and things in their pockets ...their hair mussed ...little boy words. There are young words. Wise old words with a glint in their eye. There are words wide eyed with wonder, warm cuddly words, soft as a baby's feet. Steel words ... stinging ..cruel blades of words And sweet words ...Words that press their cheek against yours. Strong father words that hold your hand and lift you up ...like a child and hoist you to their shoulders. Words are everything that humanity is ... They are our slaves; They are our master. We are at the mercy of words. The ancients saw words as living entities. When a word was spoken it traveled like a bullet to its target. It was alive with power. Therefore, when John in his gospel said, that Jesus Christ was the Word that God spoke there was no stronger statement that could be made. When the all powerful God spoke ... things happened. Even in the book of Genesis the creation was attributed to this power. God said, "Let their be light, and there was light". In the child of Bethlehem God spoke a word that never ceases winging its way to the hearts of humanity. It was a word called JESUS THE CHRIST.

He was identified as truth and light. His teachings became the words of God in the New Testament. In hearing those words it is as if God has spoken. Dr. Fredrich Herzog, formerly of Duke Divinity School, used to hold up a piece of glass and while looking through the glass at the class put it this way ..."Jesus Christ is transparent to God. In his words are the teachings of God. In his actions are the actions of God. The church challenges us to deal with this Christ. In dealing with him we deal with God. We understand the Will of God for our lives in the words Jesus spoke. His teachings are not as ordinary persons teachings. "He teaches as one who has authority", said those who heard him years ago. I. CONSEQUENTLY IN A WORLD CONTROLLED BY THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS CHRIST COMES AS A LIGHT. His being is not like a light which floods the human brain like the lights of a Football Stadium when they are turned on; Or when one leaves a Movie Theatre on a clear day to walk into the sun light. Both tend to blind one with their radiance. Christ is more like a light on a buoy marking the channel in a river, or Inlet. It sits there anchored at the dividing line between danger and safety blinking its warning, and at the same time giving its message of safety. Eventhough, in the scheme of things that blinking light is very small it continues to exist in all the extremes of day, night and weather. T'is the way of God's light. It exists in darkness. The darkness can not put it out. The light of God exits in rays of reality that we can recognize: Love which penetrates darkness of hate Forgiveness which frees us from the darkness of guilt. Ambition which penetrates the darkness of hopelessness. Truth which vanishes the darkness of ignorance. II. IN CHRIST GOD GAVE HIS WORD CONCERNING OUR IMMORTALITY, AND SECURITY IN THIS LIFE.

Those who believe on Him shall become Sons and daughters of God. Heirs and joint heirs with Christ. Therefore, Christ is God seeking you and me. This point I really want to leave with you in this special season. When an honorable persons gives their word ...that word is their bond. Only death itself will keep that person from fulfilling their word. This person we trust. In Christ, God gave his word. In him is the promise of eternity. In Him is promise for prevailing in life. I will not burden you more than you can bear. In him is the promise of companionship. I will not leave you or forsake you. Even today the results of WWII are still with us. Prisons whose foundations were laid at the end of that conflict are just now being torn down. Out of that conflict came many stories of the presence of this Christ. The German Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church was imprisoned waiting for death like so many other churchmen of that day. He tells the story of his last Christmas in the prison. On Christmas Eve he was sitting in his cell trying to remember his last Christmas in the Cathedral. He ran his sermon through his mind. He had preached on Johns Gospel. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. That word was the light of God which could never be put out. He remembered emphasizing such before his people. A people called to live out their existence under Naxism. He emphasized that even in that day darkness could not put out the light. As he was sitting in his cell wishing that somehow reality would come again into his life, and this experience of worship could be real again there came an action at his door. The guard told him to come with him. He feared the worst. Today would be the day he would die! They entered a room. There was a nobleman who had lead the resistance there. He had requested communion before he died. A violinist was there to play appropriate music. The bishop remembered his sermon and preached it again. This time he preached that the light of the Christ could penetrate the walls of prison, and could light even the path of death. Said he, There was a presence in that place. It was a still before the storm. The prisoners anxiety fled in the presence. Christ was there.

Ralph Sockman ...great Methodist preacher of the fifties...stated Jesus is to humanity as electricity. Electricity kept hanging around and bugging us. Sparks flew from our hair on a cold day when certain clothing was worn. A storm came up and electrical power was unleashed upon the earth in the form of lightning. It was as if electricity was yelling ... discover me! Discover me! Finally mankind did discover electricity and today it is our main source of energy. Christ is here! His spirit has always been here. Have you discovered Him for your life?.